Parting shot: 1,000 coveted EU jobs are leaving Britain

Brexit is beginning to bite: Over 1,000 well-paying jobs currently based in London are moving to Amsterdam and Paris.

The European Union decided Monday that the European Medicines Agency will move to Amsterdam ahead of Britain's departure from the bloc in March 2019.

A second agency based in London, the European Banking Authority, will relocate to Paris.

The decisions are some of the first concrete examples of jobs leaving London because of regulatory and structural changes caused by Brexit.

The fear is that a trickle of lost jobs could turn into a flood, weakening the ecosystem of legal, banking, tech and scientific expertise that has turned London into one of the world's top business hubs.

Britain is bracing for tens of thousands of potential job losses. The European Central Bank said last week that roughly 50 banks have already discussed relocation plans with EU authorities.

The employees are highly qualified, with most holding at least one university degree. Their pay is well above the average for London, with benefits that include child care and housing allowances, pensions and health care. Workers are required to speak English and at least one other European language.

Their economic muscle extends beyond salaries: The European Medicines Agency says its next base must have schools to accommodate 600 children, and 900 households will need affordable homes with good transport links.

Both agencies frequently host seminars and conferences, bringing even more visitors and money into their home cities. The European Medicines Agency alone hosted 36,000 visiting experts in 2016.